NVIDIA: Look for 30 Tegra 3-based devices in 2012

We're nearly halfway through the year, but things are just getting started for NVIDIA, general manager Mike Rayfield told analysts on Thursday afternoon.

NVIDIA has 30 devices planned for the year. So far, we've seen just two. Of those 30 devices, some 15 will be planned for sub-$200 pricing. That's certainly the sweet spot for impulse purchases.

NVIDIA's also looking to make inroads into the Chinese market, with 18 of those 30 tablets targeted for the Asian nation. By comparison, NVIDIA only released five devices in China in 2011, Rayfield said.

The big name to know for the rest of the year is Kai. That's the low-cost, high-performance system that NVIDIA is crowing about these days, and it's what will help bring prices down while keeping prices at a more affordable level. Will there be higher-performing tablets? Sure. But will they be $200?

The big question for those of us at the purchasing side of the equation is "When?". We'll see devices with Tegra 3+ later this year, with the "Wayne" and "Grey" generations. (And "Grey" is when we'll start to see Tegra and LTE data come together.) We'll likely hear more about that later this year, but we're not expecting any devices before spring 2013.